Piercing lyrics, “I’ll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross.”
How much did it cost?
How much did it cost Jesus?
Before we consider that, please take a moment to ponder this thought –
What is the most difficult thing you have ever had to persevere?
Something grueling.
Have you ever run a marathon and had to go through “the wall” as it is called?
The wall – about the 19th mile in the 26.2 mile course. Your energy is deplete. Your
body has consumed its energy sources and reserves. Now, it is only your guts, your drive, your passion that keeps you moving.
Where have you hit the wall in your life and kept going? Or did you quit, give up, resign?
Jesus, Thursday night. “Father, if it is possible let this cup pass by.”
My paraphrase: Father, if there is a Plan B, let’s go with that. If there is any other way for these people to be forgiven and restored to right standing with us, let’s go with that plan. But there is no Plan B. [Jesus, “It’s ALL up to me.”]
Jesus arrested. [Jesus, “It’s a set up, but I can do this. It will all be over in 17 hours.”]
Jesus accused, blindfolded, spit upon, slapped and punched. [Jesus silently to himself, “Yes, this
hurts and I know it is you, Jack, who hit me but this is part of what I came to do.”]
Jesus before Pilate. [Jesus, “Yes, I am the king. I am your king. And my vast army of angels are
in formation and I could call them. They are standing at their seats in this stadium itching to rush the field to protect me. It would take them 30 seconds to wipe you all out. They are chomping at the bit to get into this fight to defend me; to take this cup from me. But I know the bigger picture; the true cure; the real price. Hold your places, warriors.
Hold your places. ”]
Jesus flogged. 39 lashes where 40 kills you. 99.9% of one’s life torn from you. And Jesus you
never even opened your mouth. No scream. You know the cost of seeing what my sin
does to you and the Father and you keep marching forward paying the price.
Jesus being enrobed and crowned with the contemptuous, sarcastic robe and crown. [Jesus,
“Father, do I really have to stoop this low? REALLY?!?”]
Jesus on the cross.
Come down. Prove yourself. Save yourself. [He is now hitting “the wall” and he keeps
moving forward. I would have been so tempted to jump down. Yell, “You mean like this?”
and jump back on the cross. That’s why he’s Jesus and I’m not. That’s why the cross is
the effective plan A for the payment of our sins and my plan Z would not have worked.]
“My God, my God. Why have you forsaken me?” The cry of the broken heart. Plan A is at its
most excruciating span. The eternal love of the Father for the Son is utterly destroyed; the eternal punishment of my/our sin is being torrentially heaped upon the one who stepped into its path aimed right at me. The perfect love relationship is divorced. And Jesus keeps running toward the finish line. What amazing love! [I can’t imagine what the perfect love, the perfect relationship between the Trinity is, feels like. I also can’t imagine what the eternal devastation of losing that perfect love feels like. This is the part of the story that scares and mystifies me. We get a glimpse of that perfect union and the broken, shattered heart of Jesus.]
“It is finished.” The Greek words for our “paid in full.” The words of an artist who says of her
work, “It is utterly complete.” And he gave up his spirit. The finish line has been crossed. He falls lifelessly across the tape. He is gone. Just to make sure, the soldier sticks his spear into Jesus’s side and punctures Jesus’ heart. Out of the pericardial sac flows the fluid build up of the strained, stressed out heart and the blood that has been left in the lifeless pump.
“I’ll never know how much it cost to see my sins upon that cross.” But we get a taste of the cost.
He fulfilled Plan A. Why is there such emptiness and resignation? Why does it feel so wrong? Why does it feel so unfulfilled?
But today there are reports – an empty tomb, grave clothes in the exact, wrapped position that they where yet the body “evaporated” out of them, and reports of Jesus alive. At the end of his Gospel, Luke records three “aha’s.”
1. For the two, Jesus shows them his time line from Genesis through Malachi. He points out so many references that show God’s amazing love and plan. The Scriptures are full of “Here I am!” and “Here’s my love!” Jesus opens their eyes and minds to see him.
2. Touch me. While he didn’t say that to the authorities, or the soldiers, or to his mockers, or to his accusers, he says it to us, his followers. Touch me. I am alive. I am real. Test me out and see that I am alive.
3. In my new body, I can eat. Give me something to eat.
Plan A works. Plan A works today.
My response:
· Do I hunger to see Jesus in the Old Testament? The passages that Jesus spoke about are still there – treasures to be discovered and celebrated.
· Am I living the story or is it just a moment in history like most great moments in history that never really touches my life personally?
While I will never fully know how much it cost to see my sin upon the cross, Jesus did and he paid the price completely. What I can do is keep singing the next part of the song:
Here I am to worship,
Here I am to bow down,
Here I am to say that you're my God,
You're altogether lovely,
Altogether worthy,
Altogether wonderful to me.
Here I am to bow down,
Here I am to say that you're my God,
You're altogether lovely,
Altogether worthy,
Altogether wonderful to me.
HE IS RISEN!
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